Broken Fragments
by Blackheart2
Summary: Mejele and Tarak have begun reintegrating themselves with each other. But can 3 generations of mutual hatred and bigotry be so easily forgotten? *FINISHED!* Please add reviews!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vandread. But then of course you know that…

Author's note: Please review this! I don't mind flames as long as they're honest. I'm working on improving my writing style, and I can't do that without any criticism… even if you just want to do it anonymously, it's fine by me.

Broken Fragments 

Chapter 1: Frustration

"What the hell are you all doing!?" Hibiki Tokai felt like tearing his hair out. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER!" 

A sea of blank faces stared back at him, both men and women alike. Hibiki hung his head.

"This is useless…"

As part of the reintegration of the populations of Mejele and Tarak, a series of exercises were being conducted between the military of both planets. Unfortunately, things were not going well at all. Filled with nervousness and misgivings about each other, both sides steadfastly refused to interact. Each group kept to its own side of the room, and for over 20 minutes, the strategy session had been going nowhere, except for various heated arguments that broke out between officers.

Growling angrily, Hibiki dropped into a chair. 

"Fine, do what you want then! I don't have the patience to be fooling with you…"

One of the Tarak officers glared back at him.

"It's not our fault! It's these blasted women! They don't know anything about soldiering!"

Instantly, a female officer sprang to her feet.

"What! How dare you barbaric males blame us for your own ineptitude. You're the ones who make all the mistakes! You're too stupid to be able to work with us!"

A violent shouting match immediately ensued, causing Hibiki to spring into the middle of the two sides, pushing them apart.

"Hold it! Hold it! Damn it, stop pushing!" 

Another Tarak soldier sneered at him. 

"Don't talk like you're such a big shot! So what if you were able to help beat the enemy fleet! You think you're better than the rest of us just because you worked with these… women?"

"What!" Hibiki spun on him. "What are you talking about?" 

He felt he was about to lose control. The Tarak pilot matched his glare, refusing to back down. He was about a head taller than Hibiki and about half again as broad. The Vanguard pilot knew he'd get mauled if he got into a fight, but knew if nothing happened, everything would fall apart. He struggled to find something to say.

Too late. The soldier sensed the mood had changed, and turned back to the crowd of his comrades.

"What the hell do we need this runt, or these women for? We're Tarak soldiers! We're the best there is! These women don't belong here!"

A cheer of support went up. The Mejelans bristled, and the men turned to meet them. It looked like the 'meeting' would disintegrate into a vicious brawl when a strong, clear male voice rang out.

"Enough! Stand down!" 

A senior Tarak officer stepped in, forcing his men back.

"I said stand down!" he pushed another man away before turning to the burly soldier who'd started the mess.

"Who told you to speak up?" He struck the man across the face, sending him reeling, before dropping him to the ground with a well-placed right into his solar plexus.

"You don't do anything here without orders, soldier!" He turned to the other Tarak soldiers. "No one told you to start a brawl! All of you will stand in for punishment!" 

There was a slight shift among the men, but none of them spoke up. Hibiki sighed in relief.

"Thanks." 

The hard-nosed officer turned to glare at him.

"Who did it for you? I stepped in to make sure my men maintain discipline." He turned to the Mejele contingent. "All you women get the hell out of here! This is a Tarak installation, and that's the way it'll stay, no matter what ANYBODY says!"

He turned again to Hibiki. "And that includes you! We don't want you here! The last thing I need is to have my soldiers corrupted by your blasted woman-hugging ways! You call yourself a man?"

"Grrr…" Hibiki glanced back to see the Mejelans all filing out, muttering to each other and throwing dirty looks at the men. He looked back to see the Tarak soldiers all glaring at him also. With nothing left to do, he left as well, feeling decidedly very miserable.

His bad mood carried on over to lunch. He sat with Dita at a table, which was conspicuously shunned by everyone else. Hibiki looked around.

"Where are all the women?"

Dita shifted nervously. "Well… Dita heard them saying that they didn't want to eat with the men…"

All anger expended, Hibiki simply glared at his food. Duero chose that moment to walk up, carrying a tray. He set it down and began eating without a word. Dita brightened momentarily.

"How's everything, Doctor?"

Duero paused as if considering how much to say. 

"Not very well. The medical staff on both sides keep bickering about anatomical points, and the Mejelans are showing off their superior technology at every opportunity. Trying to reason with them, much less have a scientific discussion, is very difficult."

"Oh…" Dita looked down at the table, obviously downcast.

Duero saw that both his eating companions were not in the best of moods. He tried fishing for something to talk about.

"So, Hibiki, how did your strategy meeting go?"

"Don't even ask…" the Vanguard pilot muttered.

Duero turned to Dita.

"You were teaching a cooking class, right? How was it?"

"Um… everyone wanted to fight, so Dita left…"

"I see."

They ate in silence for a while, until Bart arrived.

"Hey, what's with the long faces? I bet your meetings didn't go so well, huh?"  Bart seemed the same as usual.

Duero looked up at him. "Why, did yours go well?" 

"Uh… ha ha! Of course it did!" His laughter seemed a little forced, though.

Just then, a small group of swaggering Tarak soldiers wandered past. One of them stopped and pointed at Bart.

"Hey hey! It's Baldy!"

One of the man's cohorts snatched the cap off Bart's head, then the whole group started rubbing his bald scalp, laughing and joking among themselves.

"Whoah, it's so shiny!"

"Rub it for good luck!"

Bart endured it all with an awful, forced smile and fake laughter. Dita took pity on his plight.

"Stop being so mean to Mr. Navigator!"

Slowly, the laughing stopped.

"Well, look who's standing up for him!"

"Some Mejelan bitch."

"So you think you're gonna save 'Mr. Navigator'?"

"Whoo hoo! Enter the hero!"

One of them grabbed Dita by the hair.

"You think you're so tough, eh?" 

"Aaaiiee! Let go!"

They laughed at the spectacle as she tried to release herself. Hibiki began to get to his feet, along with Duero and even Bart, before a laser beam burned through the room, passing less than an inch away from the nose of the man holding Dita. He staggered backwards, clearly shocked. Dita stumbled as he let go of her hair, then turned to look at her rescuer.

"Leader!"

Dita's cry of relief echoed through the now stone-quiet room as every Tarak soldier there also turned to look at the blue-haired figure standing in the doorway. The forms of Barnette and Jura stepped in behind her.

"Dita. Get over here." Meia continued to track the man who'd grabbed her subordinate with her deadly ring. Dita obeyed, scampering over to the Dread leader with the other three right behind. Beyond them, the other Tarak soldiers slowly began to get up, some moving out of the laser's arc, others glancing at each other. The hostility in the air was almost palpable.

"All right. We're leaving." Meia's voice was as cold as the grave. "If anyone tries to follow or attack, you'll regret it. A lot."

She backed out, letting the others out of the room first before turning and following them. 

"Move quickly. I don't want to give them time to decide to follow us."

Hibiki glanced back at the three Dread pilots.

"When did you three get here?"

Jura sniffed. "When did we get here? How about thanking Jura for saving you from those barbaric soldiers?"

Meia spoke immediately after. "Without Bart, the Nirvana can't get along very well, so the Boss decided to dock for a while. We heard you were at this station- you're lucky we decided to come look for you."

Barnette stretched as they walked. "Jeez, those men are so uptight. I should have brought my guns along…"

The thought of possibly getting something to shoot at made her grin. Hibiki glanced at her, but thought better of saying anything. Barnette brightened again. 

"Come on! While we're here, you can visit back on the Nirvana!"

That brought a little more spring to their step, and they hurried on along the corridors.

A shadowy figure had been carefully observing every scene from a series of remote cameras. Now he turned back to several aides who were standing behind him. 

"Damn it! Those women are screwing up everything. I don't want all the work I put into making Tarak the perfect military wasted by a bunch of meddling kids."

One of the others cleared his throat.

"Err… begging your pardon, General, but Grandpa and the rest of the 1st generation elders are making their decision about this clear."

"So what? I always knew that those old farts would go off the deep end soon. It's time they gave over command to the new generation!" the man's eyes shone fervently as he spoke. "I'll carry on the original dream of our forefathers when they founded Tarak… I'll get rid of those cursed meddlers, and those damn women, too!"

He grinned evilly.

"And I know just the way to do it…" he turned to another aide, nonchalantly tossing him a card. "Streck, ready the assassin."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am not claiming to own Vandread or any of its characters in any way. They all belong to Gonzo.

Author's note: Please add a review!

Chapter 2: Death

Lieutenant Streck marched down a long-unused corridor; gripping the card the General had given him tightly in one hand. Reaching the end of the corridor, he inserted the card into a slot beside a pair of huge, armored doors. With the slight whirring of disused machinery, they slowly slid open, loosing a wave of cold mist. Streck shivered, both from the blast of air and from a feeling of foreboding. The last time he had been down in this room had been over 10 years ago, and he did not want to remember the results of that incident. Steeling himself, he stalked across the room and stopped in front of a large stasis chamber, wherein slept the General's prized assassin, a living weapon that had been purchased years ago from a shadowy interstellar organization. 

Streck reached out towards the stasis chambers control panel, then halted when a thought suddenly struck him. What if the long years of stasis had damaged the assassin's programming? He definitely did not want to be in even the same building as an out of control assassin. Not when he knew what it was capable of. But then, neither did he want to go back up and tell the General to send someone else to activate it. Making his decision, he reached out and entered the code to release the chamber's contents.

Several long seconds passed as the machinery brought its occupant to full operational levels, then with a hiss that released more frigid mist into the room, the chamber's door swung open. Streck made out a tall, human-shaped form inside, then unconsciously stepped back as it came out. Once again, he found himself face to featureless mask with a being that had haunted his nightmares for the past ten years. He swallowed, knowing the next few seconds would decide his fate. The 7-foot tall figure in form-fitting gray body armor swiveled its head to take him in. Two burning red eyes came on in the mask's eye sockets.

"Request identification."

Streck's knees practically buckled and he almost sighed in relief. The assassin's programming had survived intact, as its handler had promised. Hurriedly, he raised the card to its line of sight. The glowing eyes passed over the card, advanced optics implanted in the assassin's retinas reading the infrared imprint on the authorization side.

"Identity confirmed. Awaiting orders."

"Follow me. The General will brief you on your target."

Magno Vidan was seated in her command chair, listening to Dita and Bart babble out their stories at the same time. She tried to concentrate more on Dita's, knowing Bart's would probably be embellished by fantastic details. She finally waved both of them to silence.

"So it seems things aren't going very well."

Bart nodded frantically.

"Yeah, and-"

"Enough."

He subsided.

"Hmmm… and where's Hibiki?"

BC answered.

"I think he's down at the Register."

Magno smiled. "Ah… Gascogne will be able to straighten him out." She turned to Dita and Bart. "Well, after picking up some more supplies, we'll be heading off to Mejele. There will be a banquet of sorts, with all of the first generation, as well as the ones who've recently been awakened from stasis, like Hibiki. I think we can get them to help with the problem. Bart, you'll have to pilot the ship."

"Sure, anything's better than getting stuck at that place…"

Dita's eyes shone. "Wow! Will I get to meet Grandma?"

Magno grinned at the girl's enthusiasm. "You just might."

Meanwhile, at the infirmary, Duero was checking all the equipment after spending an hour taking down various paraphernalia Paiway had strung up. He was just turning around when Jura wandered in.

"Ah, there you are, Doctor. Jura wanted to ask you if anyone's been able to produce a natural baby yet."

"No. In fact, I think I can be sure when I say no one's the least bit interested in Tarak or Mejele."

He could practically see stars in Jura's eyes. "THAT IS SO WONDERFUL! Jura will be the first to have one… now all Jura needs is a man…" Her gaze wandered over to Duero.

Before he could do anything, she sprang on him, sending them both tumbling back until they hit a table. Jura wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him and pressing her significant… assets into his chest. 

"What do you think, Doctor?" Jura cooed intimately. "Do you want to try?"

"Uh…" Even the normally calm Duero could find no answer. He squirmed a bit, trying to wriggle out of her hold, but Jura refused to release him. He was a bit surprised to note she had a fair amount of muscle development due to sword practice. 

"Jura! What the hell are you doing!?" Barnette's angry voice broke in on them. 

Jura glanced back unconcernedly. "Oh, hello, Barnette.  Jura's trying to make a baby-"

Barnette stormed forward, practically tearing Jura off of Duero. "What are you talking about? Always with the damn men!"

Jura stared at her friend. "What?"

"Stop doing that! Can't you tell no one is interested? Why are you so dense all the time?"

That got Jura riled as well.

"What do you care? It's none of your business!"

"I… that is…" Barnette reddened slightly.

Jura waved a finger in Barnette's face.

"Don't ever involve yourself in Jura's business again!" She stormed out.

Barnette stood stock-still. Duero, who'd been trying to beat a hasty retreat, paused for a moment, unsure what was going through her mind. He tried clearing his throat.

Barnette whirled on him, livid with fury.

"Get the hell out! Out!" She advanced on him, and Duero decided it would be a good idea to obey. He exited quickly, leaving Barnette alone in the center of the room. Barnette looked down for a long moment, before slowly walking to a chair and sitting down heavily. She stared out at the room, feeling completely miserable.

"Why the hell do I care…"

Preparations for the dinner were going along at a frantic pace. It would be set in a military base in Mejele, but the women, dead-set on impressing the Tarak visitors, had decorated the entire facility so lavishly that it resembled a five-star hotel. Security would be undertaken by a joint Tarak-Mejele force, with each planet primarily responsible for its own VIPs. 

In the area of the base occupied by Tarak, a storage closet's door swung open, revealing the tall figure of the assassin, which was code-named Ghost. Like all the assassins manufactured by the organization that sold it, it had originally been an outstanding human soldier who had been augmented by biochemical enhancements and cybernetic grafts, transforming him into a deadly killing machine. This particular assassin's forte was stealth, and most of its primary weapons were used in hand-to-hand combat. Ghost began moving down the hall in search of its programmed targets, activating a personal cloaking field that reflected the light around it, making it completely invisible to the normal eye. There were thermal cameras, of course, but the man in charge of them was one of the General's handpicked lackeys leaving no chance of it being detected until its mission order was complete.

Meanwhile, the newly revived first generation (which was composed of both men and women) were all grouped in a large room, chatting easily. Their conversation was interrupted as the door opened, revealing the figure of a Tarak lieutenant. He stepped inside, saluting crisply.

"Good evening. I'm here as a representative of Tarak's General Demren. He wishes to offer you all his most sincere congratulations for your successful revival, and wants me to tell you that he truly hopes that you can be instrumental in the reintegration of Tarak and Mejele, which are both trying to overcome the boundaries that separated men and women decades ago. Also, he wishes for me to present you this gift." 

He stepped out of the doorway, gesturing outside. A pair of men wheeled in a massive Mejelan-style cake, to much laughter and applause.

"This cake is his present to you, the first generation, upon which rests the hopes of Tarak and Mejele. He specifically made it in Mejelan fashion to show his sincere wish to see the two planets unified and living in harmony, as they should be. That is all… forgive me for interrupting you. Please enjoy yourselves until it is time to go to the banquet." 

He saluted again, then departed, accompanied by more applause.

At the lower level banquet hall, other guests were now beginning to congregate. The Nirvana crew was all there, along with many dignitaries from both planets, military and civilian alike. The first generation was not yet due to arrive, though. 

The core group of the Nirvana was being introduced to various personalities, with the latest in the line being Tarak's two major Generals. All of them liked General Einmann immediately; he was good-humored, polite, and seemed to be truly supporting the reintegration of Tarak and Mejele. General Demren, though, was gruff and ill tempered, and wandered off after a poor show of polite conversation. 

"Humph. Such an impolite person." Jura was annoyed at him. Barnette made an attempt to approach her, but Jura immediately drifted off. Barnette sighed to herself. Jura had obviously not yet forgiven her for the episode with Duero. Magno noted the exchange, but had nothing to say. Some things they had to figure out themselves.

Bart, Hibiki, and Dita, on the other hand, were all enjoying themselves immensely. Bart was chatting up various Tarak dignitaries, while Hibiki was sitting with Dita at a table and stuffing his face. It looked to be shaping up to a pleasant evening. 

Gascogne glanced around, surveying the people. She looked at Magno. 

"Nice crowd, huh? I wonder if any of them play cards."

Magno smiled. "You'd be lucky if they did… most of them are worth a fortune."

Gasco winked. "Now THAT is a good motivation…" she glanced to BC. 

"Can't you even lighten up here?"

BC looked at Gascogne, then returned to watching the two Tarak generals. "I don't like this… Einmann was always a massive woman hater."

"Yes… I thought he was a bit fake." Magno frowned thoughtfully. 

They watched the General as he conversed lightly with several Mejelan diplomats. BC then turned to observe General Demren, who was locked in a tense conference with most of his aides.

"What's going on over the-"

She was cut short as a massive explosion rocked the building.

The cake that had been presented to the first generation had contained a bomb, which had been steadily ticking down while everyone was talking. The timer had reached zero only half a second before the first person had begun to cut the cake. The massive explosion rocked the entire room, annihilating the entirety of the newly revived people. 

Further away, the Ghost looked up as his enhanced senses registered the explosion. It was the signal to start his mission. He turned, placing his hands on the wall beside him. Nanomachines within his specially designed Sonic Gauntlets measured the wall's integrity, testing its tensile strength. Half a second later, the Gauntlets began vibrating, loosing sound at an ultra low frequency wavelength that almost instantaneously reduced the reinforced ceramite wall to dust and splinters. The Ghost was through immediately; lunging at the three Tarak guards before their astonished minds could even register it. He backhanded the first guard, the incredible force of the myomer 'pseudo-muscles' in his nanomachine armor combining with his preternatural strength to all but remove the man's head, splattering the ceiling with teeth, shards of bone, and brain matter. The second dropped like a stone after being raked by adamantium claws coated by six of the most deadly neurotoxins known to man. The last had enough time left to open his mouth to scream before the assassin's hands closed on his throat, crushing his windpipe along with his neck and collarbones while he bent the unfortunate guard backwards like an accordion, snapping his spine in several places. The Ghost was moving as soon as he registered that the man was dead. There was only one thing going through his programmed mind.

_Eliminate the target._

The door to the banquet hall burst open and guards rushed in, beginning to evacuate everyone inside. The Nirvana crewmembers were separated from each other in the chaos. Only one thing came through the panicking crowd: _Bomb!_

In the room where the 1st Generation Tarak leaders were gathered, everyone was looking about in puzzlement. It ended abruptly when a guard rushed in with a report.

"A bomb was detonated in the building! We have to get you out of here at once!"

A team of guards quickly rounded up the senior citizens before hustling them out of the door, into a long hallway where another group of guards was waiting further down. They were beginning to move out towards the door at the end when one of the walls suddenly… disintegrated. 

The Ghost was through the breach almost instantly, springing at the first group of guards before they could react. He triggered the microwave emitter weapon mounted on his right shoulder, unleashing a wash of microwave energy on them like an invisible flamethrower. The human body is comprised of over 90% water, which has a boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius. The weapon emitted close to 1000 degrees of heat energy over a short radius. A quick pan of the barrel left nothing except molten pieces of metal and an odd stench- the odor of vaporized human bodies. 

The Ghost was still moving, aiming straight at the elders and their bodyguards as one hand slapped down on a control mechanism which pumped his system full of synthesized adrenaline, endorphins, and powerful steroids- a cocktail potent enough to kill a normal human, but that only further increased the assassin's already superhuman speed and strength.

The guards had several short seconds to open fire- however, their bullets had no effect at all except to ricochet off the Ghost's armor as his nanomachine carapace hardened itself to the level of diamond. Then he was on them, striking left and right with his Sonic Gauntlets, sending showers of blood and splinters of bone everywhere as the vibrating weapons all but dissolved the relatively frail bodies of the guards. His armor, reacting to so many enemies so close by, used nanomachines to form deadly blades that jutted out from his entire body, shearing through the flesh and bone of anything close enough. It only took seconds for him to slaughter both Tarak's rulers and their highly trained bodyguards. After arranging the scene the way his orders specified, the Ghost made his escape, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.

Hibiki had heard that the first generation had come under attack, and had immediately torn off towards their room for some unspecified reason. Meia and Dita rushed after him, trying to get him back to safety. 

Jura, on the other hand, had disdained to get stuck in the pile of people trying to get out of the door. She chose another, unused doorway to exit from, prompting a worried Barnette to head after her.

"Jura! Jura! You're going the wrong way!"

"Hmph. Why are you following Jura around? Go away. It's none of your business what I do."

"Jura… I didn't mean to insult you. It's just that…" Barnette seemed almost tearful.

"Just what?" The snobbish pilot continued on, and Barnette scrambled to keep up. Jura glanced back and was about to say something else when a door in front of her banged open, practically hitting her in the face. She turned, livid.

"Hey you! Watch where…" She trailed off as she saw whom she was talking to. The blood drenched figure in gray armor took one look at her before springing forwards, bringing up a blade that had somehow grown right out of his forearm armor. 

"Aaaaahhhhh!" Jura fell back in a blind panic as the massive man-shaped figure brought the blade down in a flashing arc, aiming at her neck.

"JURA!" Barnette sprang forward, knocking her friend out of the way. The deadly blade ripped her midsection open, but as she fell back, she managed to fire a single shot from the pistol she'd drawn. The shot hit the thing right in the eye, causing it to stagger. It turned back to the two of them, but suddenly broke off instead, moving with incredible speed as it crashed out another door. A few seconds later, a group of soldiers came around the corridor.

Jura knelt beside Barnette, who was gasping as she tried desperately to hold her guts inside her abdomen. 

"Barnette! Barnette!" She looked around frantically. "Help!"

A pair of Mejelan medics spotted them and ran up. Several Tarak medics were there too, but ignored the call, instead following a group of seemingly unconcerned Tarak soldiers out another door.

The two medics quickly called for more help, and soon a small swarm was lifting Barnette onto a stretcher. Jura moved around in the background, mumbling incoherently in shock. She stopped when she heard a weak voice.

"Jura…"

"I'm here!" She sprang in, throwing a pair of medics out of the way. "Barnette! Don't worry, you'll be alright…" Jura was almost babbling.

"Jura… are you… alright?" 

"Yes! Yes, I'm alright! You saved me…" Jura started crying, realizing for the first time what Barnette had done. The other woman smiled weakly.

"Good…" 

Then the medics lifted her and took her away, leaving Jura alone in the corridor as she slumped slowly to the ground.

Meanwhile, Hibiki, Dita and Meia reached the corridor where the Tarak leaders had been ambushed. Hibiki ran in, desperately searching.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" He sprang down amongst the corpses, ignoring the pools of blood as he searched. 

Meia and Dita, standing at the door, stared in horror at the carnage. Corpses, or at least parts of them, were strewn everywhere, and there didn't seem to be a spot that wasn't splattered by blood. Dita turned away and began to vomit, unable to keep the contents of her stomach down. Meia couldn't even force herself to turn away from the grisly sight, even to help the sick girl.  Her eyes spotted a flag of Mejele planted through the skull of Tarak's founder.

Oh, no… it couldn't be… 

And yet it was there. Hibiki was thrown out of the room by grim faced guards who beat him into the ground when he tried to force his way back in. One of them glared at Meia and Dita.

"Get the hell out of here, Mejelan. If I see you still in this hall when I come out, I'll shoot you."

Then they slammed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Vandread. Or anything else, either, so there's no point in suing me.

Author's note: Please put a review!

Chapter 3: Guilt

Hibiki scrambled back to his feet, ignoring the injuries the guards had given him. He sprang straight for the door, before being stopped dead in his tracks by Meia, who grabbed him from behind.

She grunted as she tried to keep hold of him. Drawing on her fighting experience, she put all her weight down on her center of gravity, using herself as a powerful anchor, allowing him to tire himself out as he struggled vainly to move her. When he finally slackened in her arms, she spoke.

"Hibiki! Get a hold of yourself! This isn't the time to be doing this. They weren't bluffing… they'll shoot you if you go in." 

"I… Grandpa…" He suddenly let out a sob of frustration. She could feel him trembling. She glanced at Dita, who had just managed to climb unsteadily to her feet, wiping her mouth.

"Give me a hand with him. Let's get him to the shuttle."

Dita moved to them woodenly, a blank, shell-shocked expression on her pale face. Meia felt a pang of sorrow. She was a soldier, and the sight had nearly been too much for her. She didn't want to imagine how it had affected the carefree, innocent Dita. _Whoever did this… they don't care about life. The worst kind of person- and also the worst kind of enemy._

Three hours later…

Jura sat alone on the bed inside her cabin. She hadn't said one word to anyone ever since returning, hadn't even changed or washed. She could still smell the stink of blood… her best friend's blood. Slowly, she turned her head to face the tall mirror beside the bed.

The haggard, bloodstained face of a complete stranger stared back at her. Jura didn't find it beautiful in the least. Slowly, she reached down beside her, feeling a hairbrush she had carelessly left on the bed that morning. She had been planning to have Barnette help her tidy out the various things she'd strewn about over the past few days. _Stop lying to yourself. You were going to have her do it while you examined your fucking manicure. _

With a furious scream, she hurled the hairbrush at the mirror, hearing it shatter. She didn't even feel a hint of satisfaction at removing two things that had helped fuel her deluded vanity and self-importance. How often had it blinded her to other people's feelings? How long had that disregard, that casual 'take it for granted' attitude hampered her relationships with others? She placed her head on her knees, seeing flashes of memory behind closed eyelids. 

_Barnette, doing all the chores for her… Barnette, cooking just so she could combine with Hibiki and appease her own foolish pride… Barnette, giving her a beautiful, expensive ring for Christmas, which she rewarded with a paltry kiss…_

Jura sprang to her feet, half-mad with guilt and the horrible realization that she'd taken the one person who'd cared for her the most for granted, the realization that Barnette may have died for her…

Screaming incoherently, she seized up her sword and stampeded around her room, wantonly destroying everything. She ripped through the curtains and rugs, chopped through the furniture and decorations, carelessly pulled out her best clothes and cut them to shreds, shattered all the mirrors.

The mirrors! They seemed to be everywhere, a testament to the insufferable arrogance and vanity that her friend had borne with stoic patience, and rewarded with caring and loyalty. Crying, both out of grief, shame and fury, Jura destroyed them all, finally standing alone, panting, in the middle of her ruined room, in front of the last mirror, the one on her dresser. Staring at her reflection, she saw her long, golden hair, usually kept so meticulously neat and beautiful, was matted and smeared with blood. The hair… only one more reflection of her shallow, self-centered view of life. She gripped a fistful and raised it up, shearing through it with her sword, cutting it down to shoulder length before hurling the cut strands into the mirror, a swirling, golden mass tainted with red.

Now completely drained of energy, Jura watched the reflection hollowly. Such a hateful, defeated look…

The sword came up, shattering the mirror.

Hibiki was once again alone on the part of the ship he went to for solace. However, even the interior garden could give his mind no peace. He could barely believe what he'd seen, but he knew it was true. Human beings had a gut feel for death. Like many animals, they had the instinct to know when something was dead, even without touching it. Hibiki had felt it within himself, seen the blood-soaked face of the man who'd raised him. His fists shook and he pummeled the ground, remembering the horrid wound on his throat- far beyond what was necessary to open the carotid artery, so deep it had almost decapacitated him. His bloody, aching hand was about to strike the unyielding earth again when another hand, clad in a familiar white glove, reached out and caught it.

He turned to stare Meia Gisborn in the face. Her cool blue eyes held a certain empathy, a sad understanding.

"Don't torture yourself over this. There was nothing you could've done."

"I… I couldn't save him… I call myself a fighter, but it was useless…"

"Enough!" Her sharp tone caught him off guard. Her eyes softened, along with her voice.

"Listen to me… I know how it is to lose someone important to you, and to feel you could have done something… protected them somehow… but there was nothing you could have done… nothing _we _could've done. I suffered for so many years because I couldn't get over that… don't do this to yourself."

Hibiki stared at the ground. He slowly slumped, shoulders shaking. Meia watched him quietly. She had always shunned human contact, but now she awkwardly tried to comfort him, trying to give him something no one else had been there to offer to her. She wanted better for this boy… she wanted him to avoid the trap she'd fallen into herself. She gently held him, rubbing his back like he was a child, urging him to let it out. Only then could the healing begin.

Further away, on a higher terrace of the garden, Dita sat watching the scene. She was shocked into turning away when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Dita?" Ezra walked in, looking around. "What are you doing-"

"Ssshhhh!" Dita held a finger to her lips. She sat back and watched as her friend walked over, took one look at the area below, and immediately turned away. Ezra focused on Dita.

"I couldn't find you ever since you came back. Are you all right?"

"Yes… Dita just needed to be alone for a while."

Ezra smiled, trying to put some humor into the moment. "You? Be alone? That's hard to believe…"

Her smile faded when she saw that Dita was not amused at all by the statement.

"Dita, what's wrong? Tell me."

"Dita… Dita saw them… all those dead people. It was horrible! They were… they were all chopped up like ground meat! And then Hibiki tried to find his grandpa, and then…" Dita dissolved into tears.

"Oh, now, now…" Ezra cradled her friend, motherly instinct causing her to take instant action. It took a little while before Dita calmed.

"And now… I saw Hibiki and Leader… oh, what could have happened? Dita told Hibiki long ago… how Dita felt about him, but he never answered, never said anything back in the time we were together… but then, Dita is only a burden. Dita's not smart, or strong, like Leader is… whenever Hibiki's in trouble, Dita can't do anything to help. And now…" She returned to crying on Ezra's shoulder.

Ezra embraced her heartsick friend, quietly hoping that somehow, someway, something would fix Dita's problem. It was all she could do.

General Demren sat in one of the chairs, speechless with shock and horror. 

"You what?!"

"Come on, Demren! Can you be so shortsighted as to miss what a glorious opportunity this will give us?" General Einmann sat back, grinning.

"You bastard! You traitor! You murdered them! You killed the founders of Tarak, and all those innocent first generation people as well! You call yourself a soldier? You ought to rot in hell!"

Einmann simply smiled, amused by his colleague's bluster. "Oh, well… things would've been easier if you'd been willing to work with me, but I see that I'll have to take over Tarak on my own."

Demren sprang to his feet, face livid with fury. "Not on your life! I'll kill you myself, you spineless worm!"

He began reaching over towards Einmann's throat, but the other General simply smiled contemptuously. A second later, a massive, armored gauntlet came down, easily catching both of Demren's fists in its grip. Razor sharp blades grew out of the hand's palm, severing his hands at the wrist. The General howled in agony, falling back and staring at the stumps in horror before turning back to see a monstrous, seven-foot tall figure towering over him. The assassin brought his blade-covered fist down, ripping open Demren's middle and hurling him to the ground in incredible agony. His screams filled the small room as it twisted the blades, disemboweling him completely while a pale Lieutenant Streck watched from the side. The thrashing General slowly bled out the remnants of his life on the floor, soiling the carpeting. The last sound he heard was Einmann's mocking laughter.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Vandread or any of its characters. (Why do I bother saying this all the time?)

Author's note: Please review!

Chapter 4: Loyalty

General Einmann sat back in his plush new office chair, smiling contentedly. Everything had gone according to plan: the assassination of the beloved Grandpa by the cowardly dogs of Mejele had worked out into the righteous indignation of the masses. He had used the opportunity to seize power, deposing the remnants of the old order and winning the trust and support of the people of Tarak with his promises to gain revenge and lead Tarak into its rightful place as the most powerful empire in the galaxy. His speeches, carefully choreographed and edited before being broadcast live, had whipped the citizens into a frenzy; now all they needed was direction. And he would be the man who gave them that direction. Now everything was almost in place, only one thing remained before he could embark on his glorious crusade to exterminate the women.

He turned his head to see his most trusted officers taking their seats in front of him. He swiveled entirely to face them. He'd carefully planned it so that his chair was bathed in the brilliant sunlight coming in from outside, giving them an unconscious impression of power. 

"Gentlemen, I trust you've read your personal copies of the plan I've made for our revenge against the Mejelans. You should now also know your own roles in that plan. Are there any questions?"

One colonel raised a hand.

"Your plan specifies a large amount of complex maneuverings against that ship, the Nirvana. Wouldn't it be simpler to simply focus and destroy it with an all out attack?"

He sighed. Why did his staff all have to be such idiots? Oh well… that was part of the price for being a man selected for destiny- he had to hand-walk his own men through the simplest of matters, because their simplicity prevented them from seeing the bigger picture like he did. It was just another advantage he had over everyone else, and yet another reminder of how pitiful they were, and how much they needed his guidance. _What would they do without me?_

"Because the Nirvana's fighting technology, which I would like to add rightfully belongs to Tarak, is far superior to our Vanguard forces. Even if we were to successfully destroy it, it would undoubtedly cause heavy losses that we cannot afford to sustain. Besides, if, no, _when_ my plan is successful, we will be able to have the ship and everything it contains, which will give us a decided edge in battle." 

"Oh… but what if the plan fails?"

"_It will not fail!" _He thundered angrily. "I have prepared this plan very carefully, based on observations and all information that we have been able to gather on the Nirvana and its crew. It will be perfect." He slapped the table for emphasis. 

"Now, the lot of you get out. I have work to do." 

The officers rose to their feet and moved out. Lieutenant Streck closed the door behind them, before turning to the General.

"Sir, what if they refuse the offers?"

"There are always ways to take care of matters." He glanced wordlessly at a seemingly empty corner, where in reality the Ghost lurked, cloaked and unseen, awaiting orders with the infinite patience of a machine. His smile widened as he saw the look that came into his aide's face. Streck excused himself and hurriedly exited. Einmann couldn't figure out exactly why his aide was so terrified of the Ghost. But then, Streck was a weakling like the rest. He would have the regular human weaknesses. 

The thought made him shake his head. Just because Streck had seen the Ghost in action 10 years ago he'd lost his nerve? Shameful. He tilted his head to the side to regard the resting assassin. He had purchased it years ago and  it had cost him over a third of all his holdings, but it had been worth it. The Ghost had removed his greatest rival for his promotion to General, and now once again it was showing him its usefulness. The thing's resiliency impressed him greatly. It had taken a round in the eye, but was still in excellent shape. He smiled as he leaned back and closed his eyes. As powerful as it was, the Ghost was only yet another tool to aid him in his ordained mission. He, Augustus Einmann, would become the first Emperor of Tarak, ruler of the Galaxy. Slowly, he began to laugh.

Jura slowly roused herself again from a deep slumber when she realized that the ship was moving. _What?_ She staggered to her feet, checked the time. It had been five hours already? She struggled to clear her head, before taking in the ruins of her once luxurious room. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and began to clean the mess. It took a while, but when she was done, the room was fairly tidy, if a little empty. She went out for a moment, then returned with several of the day-to-day jumpsuits the other Dread pilots wore. After a quick shower and a trim of her hair, she pulled one on, noting with surprise it was actually pretty comfortable. Her original black dress, still smeared with blood, she discarded without a backward glance. She sighed softly as she ran her hands absently through her shortened hair. It was actually more manageable, and convenient to wear it short… she began to look for a mirror, but slapped herself mentally.

No more mirrors. No more dresses. From now on, Jura, it's nothing for you but work.

Feeling pleased with her decision, she dumped all her makeup into the trash bin, then changed her mind and retrieved a few articles. Just a little… in case she needed it. She quickly locked them into a small drawer, mentally made a note to leave the key with Barnette… a sob overtook her. Slowly, she sat on the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs as her guilt for causing her friend's injury returned. Suddenly, she sprang right back up to her feet. No, she wouldn't allow this to happen to herself. She'd go on, become stronger, someone that could be relied on… that was the only way she could ever face Barnette. Straightening her shoulders, she marched out of the cabin, heading for the infirmary.

Bart finally got out of the cockpit. He couldn't understand Magno's insistence that they leave Mejele immediately… why didn't she want to hang around? Maybe she thought there'd be trouble? He knew there would be a problem, with Grandpa dead and all, but why did Magno seem so worried? Well, he wouldn't bother about that for now. After almost two years, he'd met his father again at the banquet. They hadn't been able to talk too much, but the older Garsus had given Bart a frequency that he could reach him at. Now that he was finally out of his piloting duties, Bart wanted nothing more than to catch up on what had been going on with the family while he was gone. He plopped down in front of the communications device in his cabin and activated it.

"Bart? Bart, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me! Dad, how're you doing? I wish I could've been able to talk longer, but there was the big explosion and everything, and they needed me to rescue some people,  and-"

"Quiet down for a minute, Bart. I wanted to talk to you about something. Something important. Now, you know that you are a soldier of Tarak, and as such it is your sworn duty to defend our home. We have become a target of unjust Mejelan oppression, and now it is time for you to do your part. You are the pilot of that ship, aren't you? I listened to what you were saying about it a while ago. I understand that while you are piloting, you are untouchable, correct? They can't get to you. What you have to do is to hijack the ship and return it to Tarak!"

For quite possibly the first time in his entire life, Bart Garsus was struck dumb.

"Dad… Dad, what are you saying? These women are my friends!"

"I understand that was what you were saying when you were captured some time ago… believe me, I tried my best to have you released, but there was nothing I could do. But Bart, now is the time for you to do your duty as a Tarak citizen! The Garsus family is highly regarded in all of Tarak, and now you have a chance to further improve our honor. Listen to me! That ship is the rightful property of our planet! It was originally the Ikazuchi, remember? Don't forget that those 'friends' of yours were the ones who hijacked it! Have you forgotten all the massacres that the women of Mejele committed? Are you going to forgive them like that? You have a chance to return stolen property and make yourself a hero!" 

"I…I… I need some time to think this over." Bart was in shock. The face on the viewscreen nodded. 

"I understand it must be difficult for you, as you truly seem to consider these women as your friends. But you must remember, they're still women! A war is coming, and if you don't do anything, those women will undoubtedly use the Ikazuchi against us… Bart, if you do nothing, it will result in the deaths of many of your fellow men. I have faith in you… I know that you will make the right choice. I know that I raised you the right way. And when you make that decision, I'll be waiting for you here, on Tarak… son."

The image faded away. Bart slowly slumped, his mind whirling insanely. He couldn't deny much of what his father said. Being a natural coward, Bart had always tried to avoid big decisions and responsibilities, and now he was completely out of his depth. How could he disobey his father, and side with Mejele against Tarak? But how could he betray his friends on the Nirvana? 

_Oh no… someone help!_

BC sat at a console, all alone on the bridge as she worked. She frowned as a blinking light indicated a message was being transmitted to them. She considered waking Magno, but decided to let the old woman sleep. She brought the message onscreen. The grinning face of General Einmann appeared.

"Why, hello, our lovely traitor… it's Buzam now, isn't it? How nice to see your face again…"

BC glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to make you a special offer… how would you like to return to Tarak, hmm? We can afford to forgive your betrayal… if you give us the Nirvana."

She smiled. "What makes you think that I'd be willing to help you?"

"Perhaps because I can ruin your life with those pirates… I'm sure that they'd be most interested to hear of the several times you handed in reports that could've finished them… there are some embarrassing fiascoes where they lost personnel and pilots because of your intelligence. You joined our military for power, didn't you? Gain is the only thing that could drive a workaholic like you. I'm offering it all to you now, on a silver platter… what do you say?"

BC kept tight control over herself. "Get off this channel."

He shrugged elaborately. "As you wish… the offer still stands, though. Anytime you want…"

Her fist came down, cutting the connection.

Jura strode into the infirmary, causing Paiway to look up. She felt glad Duero wasn't there… she didn't want to have to face him after that embarrassing incident. 

"How… how is Barnette?"

"Barnette?" The nurse blinked questioningly.

"Oh no…"

Jura hadn't paid much attention to things when she'd come back onboard, she'd been in too much of a daze. In the general confusion, it was entirely possible that they'd overlooked it…

_Barnette was still on Mejele!_


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vandread. I am risking legal prosecution for no other reason than an odd addiction to writing…

Author's note: Please add a review!

Chapter 4: Confusion

The doctor entered the room, moving over to the lone bed and checking the readouts. Everything was good… she'd been brought in almost gutted by something, but they'd managed to cauterize the wound so well there wouldn't even be a scar. She'd been unconscious for several days now, but all her life signs had stabilized and she was healing nicely. The Mejelan began to turn and leave, but halted when she noticed movement in the patient.

Barnette slowly came awake, little by little, still feeling rather drowsy. She opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar face and alien surroundings. 

"Wha- what… Where am I?"

"Easy… you were badly injured, so don't try to move around a lot. The wound's been closed, but the damage is still being healed." The doctor moved to the side, entering something into a chart.

"What's your name? You weren't carrying any identification and we didn't have any samples of your DNA in the main database…"

"I'm Barnette Orangello… oh no! The Nirvana… where is it?" 

The other woman's face took on a strange expression.

"You're… you're with the pirates? Uh… excuse me…" She inched away, and then practically ran to the door.

"Hey! Wait!" Barnette got off the bed, ignoring the pain in her abdomen as she raced for the door. She reached it to find it had been locked from the outside. 

"Open up!" She pounded the door with her fist repeatedly, trying to keep from panicking. "Open the door!"

She waited for over 10 minutes, growing more nervous with each passing moment. Finally, the door slid open. A squad of fully armored Mejelan soldiers wielding shock prods entered, flanking her. The leader stepped forward.

"You're coming with us."

A Mejelan council of war was being held. Officers and politicians alike had assembled at Grandma's call. 

"What's the status?"

"There don't appear to have been any changes. Tarak continues to move its troops about, but they are showing no signs of going on the offensive. They continue shouting about revenge and conquest, but there has been no action at all. As per your command, we've refrained from attacking, waiting for the first strike from them, but they're obviously just bluffing." There were no problems identifying the hard-edged mix of both arrogance and derision in the speaker's voice. 

"I see. What about the Nirvana?"

"After it left orbit, it made no attempt to contact us. The traitorous pirates obviously want nothing to do with this at all. However, we now have the means to make them listen to us…"

"What are you talking about?" Grandma's voice sounded intrigued. 

"Apparently, the cowards left a wounded crewmember behind. We can use her to lure them back in…"

"I don't know about this."

"Grandma, with all due respect, we can't give up this opportunity! We need the Nirvana's weaponry to give us a greater edge over Tarak! You'd be failing to protect our people adequately if you don't act!"

The old woman sat silently for a long time, deciding.

"Very well. Do whatever you deem necessary."

Bart Garsus lay on his bunk bed, comfortably drunk. After his conversation with his father, he had taken to getting smashed every time he finished a shift in the cockpit. Slowly, he brought the bottle up for another pull, but hurled it into the wall when he discovered it was empty. He rolled over onto his side, trying to squeeze his head until he stopped thinking. __

_What am I supposed to do? What can I do? I'd betray Tarak and my father if I let them fight it out with Mejele without doing anything, especially if the Nirvana sides with Mejele. But I'd betray my friends here if I turned them in to Tarak…_

_Friends? What friends? _Another voice within him spoke up, a tiny, but incredibly seductive whisper. _These women always took you for granted, they never respected you… and think! If you betrayed them, what could you gain? Respect, money, power… and the gratitude of one of Tarak's most powerful men. _

"Raggh!" Bart lurched out of bed and headed off to find another bottle.

Meia was kneeling, busily working on her Dread. It kept her from thinking of other things, such as the fact that her carelessness had resulted in a crewmember being left on Mejele. She'd berated herself for not noticing anything when Jura had wandered on board, covered in blood. _Forget it… we can still rescue her. _

A sound behind her caused her to turn. Dita stood before her, watching Meia wordlessly.

"Dita… what is it?" _Something seems to be wrong with her._

"Leader… could you tell Dita… could you tell Dita what you feel about Hibiki?"

"What?" Meia could only stare incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"Dita saw you and Hibiki in the garden… Please, tell Dita!"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…" Meia could find no answer for her subordinate. 

"Don't lie to Dita! Leader… Leader… please! Dita needs to know! What do you feel for him?!"

Meia couldn't find it within herself to respond. She wasn't sure about the answer herself, but to tell Dita… she couldn't say anything despite the desperate, pleading look the other pilot was giving her.

Dita stepped back, shaking her head. 

"No…no…" She dissolved into tears, before turning and running away.

"Dita! Dita, wait!" Meia held out a hand beseechingly, but the girl simply ran faster, turning a corner before she could begin to follow. Slowly, she allowed the hand to drop to her side before lowering her gaze to the floor. 

_What do I feel…?_

Magno Vidan sat quietly in her chair inside the meeting room. In her hands was a confidential file folder that Belvedere had given her. It had been transmitted from Tarak, and contained BC's intelligence file, along with copies of all her sub-commander's reports. From it she had learned of the amount of intelligence that BC had sent to Tarak, from their activities to profiles of important crewmembers. Most of it she could forgive. What she couldn't, however, were several reports that had led to the deaths of a sizeable number of her pirates when they'd run straight into ready and waiting Tarak ambushes during raids. She leaned back, pondering what to do. BC had always served loyally in every job she'd been assigned- except for mentioning her second occupation as a Tarak spy; she had an almost perfect record. Her dilemma was put on hold when an alert from Celtic sounded.

"We're receiving a transmission from Mejele!"

The transmission was little more than a short video of Barnette seated in a cell, looking completely miserable.

Magno sighed. "Nothing is ever easy…"

"Barnette!" Jura sprang up from where she'd been seated. "We have to go save her!"

Barnette looked up when the cell door opened. A woman walked in, flanked by a pair of guards. She glanced around, then waved. One guard walked up and unlocked a pair of handcuffs, allowing her to start rubbing circulation back into her hands. The woman gestured again, and the two guards exited the room. She turned to smile briefly at Barnette.

"My name is Celestia Ingrahm of the Mejele Intelligence Division. You're Barnette Orangello, right?"

"Yes…" Barnette answered in a guarded tone.

"I know that you're a member of the Nirvana crew; unfortunately, I don't think that you'll be able to rejoin them anytime soon."

Barnette scowled darkly, eyes narrowing. "And why not?"

"Because they abandoned you," Celestia replied bluntly. "After the assassination of Tarak's first generation, they simply packed up and left… leaving this in your hand."

She held up what was quite obviously a bomb detonator. 

"What? No… I don't believe you…"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I know that you weren't the one who pressed this switch- you're just a scapegoat."

"What?" Barnette felt stupid about repeating herself, but she couldn't help it. 

"You were attacked and left for dead… with the detonator. I'm sure the real assassin was the one who planted it in your hand. We questioned all the medics, and they said that only one person was there with you… a blond woman."

"Jura?" Barnette gasped disbelievingly. "No! Jura wouldn't have-"

"Wouldn't have what? Wouldn't have wandered off and left you? You have a very negligent friend, as she was present and did nothing to find you before the Nirvana left."

"I…I… No! There was a man in gray armor there! He was the one who cut me!" Barnette blurted it out without thinking.

"Really?" Celestia sounded interested. "Can you tell me any more? What happened?"

"He cut me and I shot him and he ran away…"

"But he didn't put a detonator in your hand."

"N-no."

"So who did?"

Barnette's eyes darkened as another possibility struck her. "Maybe one of those medics…"

"No." Celestia's voice was firm. "They are all beyond suspicion- because they all have alibis for when the bomb was detonated. What were you doing?"

"I- I was with my friends from the Nirvana!"

"Really… well, we did contact the Nirvana and ask about you, but they denied even knowing you."

"No! You're lying!"

She shrugged. "I'll bring you a record of the conversation." 

Moments later, Barnette was watching Magno deny ever having met any Barnette Orangello. Celestia gently took the screen from her nerveless fingers.

"I'll be back again. Think about it a little."

She exited the cell, closing the door behind her. Once outside, she pulled out a comm. unit.  "This is Celestia. Phase one of the indoctrination is complete."

Meanwhile, Magno had ordered Bart to head for Mejele at full speed. Bart frowned.

"Why?"

"Because they have Barnette. We can't afford to leave her with them- there's no telling what they'll do."

"But they'll catch us!"

"Still, we have to see if we can rescue her. Barnette could provide them with vital information. Also, we have to pick up Rebeka and the others- they're still near Mejele."

Bart was silent for a long while. Finally, the ship started up. In few moments, though, Belvedere frowned.

"Bart! Where are you going? You're heading in the direction of…Tarak…"

"I won't allow Mejele to get their hands on the Nirvana! I don't care what else happens, but I won't let them win the war!"

"Bart, NO!"


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Vandread. Of course, chances are poor Gonzo would bother suing me anyway…

Author's note: Please, please, please put a review! I'd like to know people's reactions to my ideas and writing. 

Chapter 5: Betrayal

Magno Vidan sat silently in her command chair. With a shortage of options, she'd been forced to order BC, Duero, and Hibiki detained in the brig until further notice. It was a difficult decision, but the last thing she needed was to have one of them join Bart in his rebellion. The rogue pilot had sealed himself into the cockpit, obviously unwilling to emerge until they reached Tarak. She'd had Parfet try to shut down the engines, but Bart had been bright enough to keep it from happening. They were now less than 3 hours away, and time was running out until they reached the point of no return: Tarak's hedge of defensive automated mines.

Celestia Ingrahm, deputy chief of operations of the interrogation wing of Mejele's intelligence bureau, stood outside the wall of one-way glass that separated her from the pirate they'd captured. She felt pleased; after only a few days, the special techniques her division had developed were already starting to take their toll on the subject's psyche. The combination of special drugs placed in her food, subconscious indoctrination by sound emitters, and the loneliness of solitary confinement, coupled with her rare, brief, and carefully timed visits (which she used as an opportunity to introduce more lies and propaganda) had the subject teetering on the breaking point. 

_But then, this woman shows signs of chronic aggressive behavior and paranoia. Perhaps the subject isn't an ideal one to showcase our abilities on… but still, when we get results, all the bigwigs will have to sit up and take notice. Our technique is far more refined, and effective, than Tarak's. Those brutes simply inflict pain until the subject has either talked or died. Pain is an inadequate motivator… subtlety may take longer, but always pays off in the end._

And now she held what she was sure would be the final card in her hand. She smiled as she fingered the screen she was holding, before carefully putting on a calm face and entering the cell.

Barnette frowned darkly at her. Distrust and suspicion were evident on her face. 

"What do you want?"

"We've finally discovered who was behind it… this 'friend' of yours, Jura Basil Elden."

"What?!"

"Take a look for yourself." She handed the screen over.

Barnette flicked it to life, and was greeted by a surveillance video of the hallway where she'd been wounded. She watched through the scene until the part where paramedics were surrounding her. Seconds before she was picked up and carried off, she saw Jura lean forward and place an object in her hand. Barnette dropped the screen.

"NO! This can't be real! Why would Jura do such a thing?"

Celestia put on a pitying expression. "I'm afraid she was trying to claim a reward promised by certain…elements in Mejele. They were promising a huge monetary reward and a high social position… you tell me if that offer would've tempted your friend."

Money, influence, a pedestal to preen on… Barnette had the sickening realization that those things were quite possibly the most powerful lures for Jura. _Did I mean that little to her? _

"Wait! The man… the man in armor! What about him?"

"As best as we can figure, he was some kind of Tarak operative. He probably attacked you since you were from Mejele."

Barnette's gaze slid to the floor. 

_Now's the time._

"There's one more thing I have to talk to you about. You were formerly a member of Magno's pirates… they were granted amnesty by Grandma some time ago. However, because of their recent defection, the amnesty has been revoked. You're looking at a life sentence in this cell."

"No…" Barnette's mouth went dry. She was already rotting after just a few days… but for life?

"Yes. However, due to the circumstances, we're willing to help you out. If you help us capture the other pirates, we'll let you go and help you start a new life here on Mejele, your home."

Celestia saw the weakness on her face. _Yes! Press it home. _She leaned forward. 

"If you help us catch the people who betrayed you, we'll set you up for life in whatever kind of environment or job you choose… it's more than fair, isn't it?"

Barnette tried to focus, but her thoughts seemed so murky, so distant… she tried to remember something, anything that could tell her that this woman was lying. However, nothing came to mind. She could barely concentrate for some reason. She saw Celestia watching her expectantly. What else could she hope for? She gave her answer.

Moments later, Celestia was walking along the corridor outside, flushed with victory. The mind-fogging drugs and some traces of hallucinogens, combined with the unrelenting subliminal messaging, and the doctored video as the final blow, had finally gotten the subject to crack. They'd have the Nirvana soon… and she'd make sure that the pirate wouldn't change her mind with a continuing regime of drugs and psycho conditioning. Now everyone would see what she was capable of…

The Nirvana's crew had been unable to stop Bart. Upon arrival at Tarak's 'minefield', they'd been boarded and captured. Now they were being transported to the planet itself. 

Inside the transport, Hibiki scowled at Magno.

"Damn it! Why'd you have me locked up, old woman? I wasn't going to help Bart…"

"I didn't think so, but I couldn't take any more chances. Looks like it doesn't matter, though." Magno sighed. "I had hoped for more from that man…"

Duero glanced to the side. "Expecting Bart to choose to stay with you was a bad idea. We both knew what would have happened if we reached Mejele…"

Magno threw him a sharp look. "Did you think that I'd allow the Nirvana to become a pawn for either Mejele or Tarak? I thought you were smarter than that."

A guard chose that moment to wander past, glaring at them. "All of you shut your mouths!" 

They rode the rest of the way in silence, each wrapped in his or her own thoughts.

At Tarak, they were separated according to rank. The most important members of the crew were dragged to a large cell and chained to the wall. Everyone else was carted off to different areas. They had just been in the cell for a while when the door slid open and two jailers entered, followed by General Einmann and an aide. The General swaggered forward, grinning broadly.

"It seems we've caught a whole mess of vermin…"

Magno met his glare, giving him a humorless smile in return. "It seems we've been caught by more vermin…"

To their surprise, the General laughed. "Hahaha! You've got spirit, don't you? Too bad you're a woman, and so inferior." He glared up and down the line of prisoners. "That was always the mistake of the old men… they labeled women as an enemy to be feared. How stupid! Their propaganda had the effect of making their own soldiers terrified of their enemies. Now, though, the people of Tarak will soon see the true nature of their enemies: weak, stupid, inferior aberrations that foolishly think they can impede Tarak's preordained conquest of the galaxy!" His eyes gleamed with the maniacal zeal of a fanatic.

"Get on with it." Gascogne put on a bored tone.

"Very well. I know that that Pexis thing or whatever can't function without having the people linked to it… thanks to you, Uragasumi." He mock-bowed to BC. "So I'm here to draft you four," he said, indicating Hibiki, Dita, Jura and Meia, "into the Imperial Army of Tarak." 

Jura spit at his face, but the liquid was deflected by something invisible. The General's grin simply widened. He snapped his fingers. The monstrous, inhuman form of the Ghost appeared. One hand was in front of the General's face- it had protected him from the spit. 

Jura's eyes widened in fury and horror. "That thing!" 

She tried to pull herself free of the restraints, but failed miserably. Instead, she glared at the hulking, silent assassin. 

Einmann laughed again. "How foolish. Even if you were able to get free, you have no way of hurting it at all."

He turned back to all of them. "Now, I'm aware that you probably aren't very enthusiastic about the idea. Therefore, I've prepared something to motivate you." He gestured and Lieutenant Streck strode to the door and pulled it open, gesturing outside. A Tarak soldier entered, carrying Karuwa, Ezra's baby daughter. The girl was little more than two years old, and she was wailing hysterically because she'd been forcibly separated from her mother. The soldier roughly deposited Karuwa on the floor, then stepped back.

Einmann glanced at the Ghost. "Do it."

"Orders received." The assassin took two strides forward and reached down, wrapping his hand around the child's neck. Her crying cut off abruptly as the Ghost tightened his grip, cutting off her air. He lifted her above the ground, holding her above his head as the Nirvana crew stared in horror.

"You monster! That's a child!" Hibiki, and just about everyone else, struggled to get loose and come to the baby's aid, but none could pull free. 

"I know. That's why I chose her to be first. In case you're strong-willed enough to refuse, I have ten others lined up outside, all the youngest crewmembers on your ship. Now, here's how we do it… I'll ask you if you want to fight for the Empire. If you say yes, the current victim will be let down. If you say no, the Ghost will strangle her and we'll move on to the next. I'd encourage you to hurry- even if this child survives, she might sustain brain damage from oxygen deprivation if you dawdle. Now, would you like the honor of fighting under the banner of Tarak?"

It took only a second to decide. "Yes!" Four voices chorused.

"Good… Ghost!" 

"Orders received." The cyborg dropped the child to the ground. Karuwa coughed violently as she tried to bring air through her tortured windpipe. The soldier stepped forward, picked her up, and strode out. Einmann gestured and the jailers stepped forward and began to unchain the four pilots.

"In case you decide to try anything, don't forget that we have your crewmates still under lock and key here. They will suffer the penalty of any betrayal. Take them away!" 

The jailers herded the four prisoners outside, with the Ghost following silently. Einmann turned to fix BC and Duero with a dark grin.

"However, you two traitors won't get away so easily… I promise you now, when I have time to watch it personally, you'll both die screaming." He turned away and strode out, Streck following along in his wake.

The Nirvana, with a new crew of Tarak soldiers and a complement of Vanguards on board, left the same day, heading for the front. With them were Hibiki, Meia, Dita, and Jura, newly recruited soldiers of the Tarak Imperial Army.

At the same time, Tarak began an all-out offensive on Mejele. Both armies clashed violently, neither surrendering nor accepting surrender. The death toll rose and rose as battle after battle was fought, ruled by an unspoken agreement of either annihilation or victory. 

Meanwhile, in the cell on Tarak, Magno was silently despairing on what to do. Her head came up when the door opened. A grim-faced Lieutenant Streck stepped in.

"Get up. I'm here to help you escape."


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vandread or any of its characters, though I wish I did…

Author's note: Please put a review. I don't mind if you don't like it, as long as you're honest.

Chapter 7: Revelations

"What did you say?" Magno's voice held a hint of incredulity. 

"I'm here to help you get away." Streck moved over and began unlocking the manacles holding them in place. "The General, or the 'Emperor' as he now calls himself, left with your ship, the Nirvana." 

He gave them a meaningful look. "He's ordered a prison ship readied to transport the entirety of your crew to another, undisclosed area. However, he forgot to include an order to bring guards along. Your crewmen… or women are being loaded on as we speak."

"Why are you doing this? Seems like it could just be a ruse…" Gascogne studied the man suspiciously.

"My reasons are none of your concern, woman. Just get up and start moving. We don't have much time. I can get us past most of the guards, but if another of Einmann's aides show up, I won't be able to explain this. As for it being a ruse, we don't need anything more from you except your value as a hostage. It's not the worth of doing anything elaborate."

He walked back to the door. "Anytime you're ready."  

They glanced at each other. What more did they have to lose? They followed him to the door. 

So far, so good. Streck brought them past the guards without any incident until another man in an officer's uniform walked up. 

"What the heck is going on?"

Without replying, Streck yanked out a pistol and shot the man in the face, blowing the top of his head clean off. "MOVE!"

They took off, hurrying as much as they could, although Magno was slowing them down a bit. It proved to be too much- guards were swarming in from everywhere and it looked like a matter of time until they were caught. Streck stopped as they ran through another door. He took up a post on one side and began shooting at their pursuers. Bullets hammered back, but the movement of the guards outside stopped as they dropped or looked for cover. The others stopped also, glancing back at him. 

"Go on. I'll hold them here." He quickly gave instructions on how to reach the readied shuttle to BC, who was the only one who knew the place very well. She looked at him steadily.

"Why are you doing this?"

He gave her a small, haunted grin. "Perhaps for the same thing that you are…"

She nodded calmly. "Good luck."

BC turned to the rest of the Nirvana crewmembers with her. "Let's go! We have to hurry."

Streck continued shooting, but knew it was just a matter of time before more arrived through another path. He couldn't hold them all… as the thought passed through his head, a group of soldiers burst in from behind. He dropped, turned, managed to take one out before the others opened fire, riddling his body with a hail of bullets. As Streck fell, his mouth widened into a bloody smile. He'd earned his redemption… and peace from the guilt of aiding a madman in the commission of genocide. 

Moments later, a shuttle burst from the facility, quickly docking with the 'prison ship' the remainder of the crew was in. Before any efforts could be made to stop them, they were gone.

A storm of laser fire from the Nirvana sliced through the Mejelan formation, lashing through a number of Dreads. The explosions were followed by the massive beams of Vandread Dita's cannons, which annihilated the remainder. The last of the violent explosions slowly vanished, leaving nothing but a grim darkness filled with floating pieces of debris. 

Onboard the bridge of the Nirvana, General Einmann crowed in victory. 

"Well done, Bart! All of you, get back in here! We have to carry the battle to them!" 

So far, the Tarak Imperial Navy was undefeated in every battle that the Nirvana had joined- even Mejele couldn't offset the power of the Vandreads in battle. The first few had been massive combats that had also cause large numbers of Tarak casualties, but the Emperor didn't care, and neither did his fanatical, hard-core loyalists. These soldiers were a special cadre that he had cultivated over the years while in the military- perfect for him as they provided him with all the support necessary for his every move. Now they could smell the blood in the water- Einmann had trained them to be vicious predators. The last few combats had seen very few Mejelan forces deployed; obviously the women were badly weakened by the series of bloody defeats they had incurred. 

Even if the remainder of the Tarak army was too cowardly and unfocused to continue on, they would push on alone and bring an end to the hated enemy.

Bart sat in the cockpit. He hadn't had the courage to face his former crewmates and avoided Meia, Jura, Hibiki and Dita whenever possible, which was all the time. Einmann quite obviously wanted his precious pilot protected, and was more than willing to cater to any of Bart's needs. However, now that he finally had personal prestige and position, the Nirvana pilot was completely miserable. His betrayal still weighed heavily on his mind, and he silently promised himself that he'd do what he could to make amends.

Hibiki sat back in the Vanguard's cockpit, growling something to himself. Fighting the Mejelan army was work he certainly did not enjoy. While he did relish opportunities to show off his fighting ability, he certainly didn't like being forced to fight an enemy that had initially meant no harm. He also didn't like having to fight on the side of that lunatic 'Emperor'. He was starting to wonder how much longer this could continue. If the General managed to conquer Mejele, he knew that the maniac would try to exterminate the population. Were the lives of his friends worth such a massacre? The Vanguard pilot shook his head. _What am I supposed to do?_

Meia stared out the window of the small, cramped quarters she had to share with Jura and Dita. The youngest of the Dread pilots hadn't said more than two words to her ever since the incident in the bay, and Meia was now starting to worry about her. The girl didn't eat very much, if at all, and seemed to have lost all her good cheer. She was always silent and brooding, and seemed to have fallen into some sort of depression.

Jura on the other hand, had been somewhat of a surprise. Meia had expected her to fall into her regular habit of either complaining about everything or dropping into the same kind of depression as Dita. However, the blond pilot seemed to be trying her best to remain cheerful and optimistic, and was nowhere near as snappy as Meia would have thought. She did show signs of her sharp tongue now and then, but almost always apologized.

Hibiki was the only one acting as usual, with his long periods of pondering the situation and occasional fits of temper. That realization brought Meia to wonder at how everyone else had changed when he hadn't. Somehow he seemed to remain a universal constant in everything. It was a bit comforting, actually. _Hah…Meia, what are you thinking?_

She was interrupted when Jura burst in. "Meia! It's Dita! Something is wrong with her! She won't get out of the Dread!"

Einmann allowed only Hibiki and one Dread pilot to fight at a time, depending on what his tactics were. Dita had been chosen for this one. 

"Let's go."

The two arrived at the bay to find Hibiki banging on Dita's Dread. 

"Dita! Get out of there! What are you doing?"

He was answered by a choked sob. "NO! Dita doesn't want to hurt any more people! Dita doesn't want to fight them! Just…just leave Dita alone…"

"What?!" Hibiki banged on the cockpit again. "Get out of there! What are you doing?" He felt a sudden sense of complete helplessness wash over him.

"What's going on here?" Einmann walked in, flanked by a phalanx of guards. 

"She won't leave the Dread." Meia had found out that not answering him led to punishments such as beatings and withholding of food and water. She could take the punishment, but Einmann had figured it out and ordered the soldiers to whip Dita instead. From then on, she had cooperated without question, hating him with every fiber of her being.

"Really? That's no problem. Get somebody with a welder up here!" 

"Sorry, sir, but the armor is too thick to weld through. It was specifically designed that way."

"WHAT?" The madman's face turned red at the thought of someone refusing his commands. He spun back to the Dread.

"Get out of there right now!"

"No!"

Einmann's eyes bulged. "You dare to disobey me? Get an engineer over here!" 

A man scurried up. "Yes, emperor?"

"Remove the oxygen tanks from the damned thing! Shut down the recyclers! We'll get that worm out!"

"Yes sir!" The mechanic ran over and began opening a panel. Several minutes later, he stepped back. "The oxygen recyclers have stopped operating. She has less than two minutes of air left."

Hibiki began banging again. "Did you hear that?! Come on! Dita, get out!" The Vanguard pilot sounded desperate.

Dita lay curled up in the cockpit of her Dread. The familiar confines made her feel comfortable, safe. She didn't want to be part of the world outside anymore. Hibiki had rejected her, and now she had to fight Mejele or they'd hurt her friends. She couldn't take it anymore… she curled up tighter. A beeping sound drew her attention to a screen on the front.

WARNING! The oxygen recycling system has been 

_disabled. Usable air remaining will be displayed._

Oxygen remaining (in minutes): 1:30 

So she was going to die. A part of her didn't find the idea very bad. She would be free from all the pain and killing going on around her. The bad man in the fancy uniform wouldn't order her to be beaten anymore, and now what happened to Ezra's baby wouldn't be her fault. Yes, that would be best… she wanted to die.

Hibiki was still banging on the door. "Dita! Dita!" 

The alarms suddenly sounded as the ship lurched crazily. Einmann and his men stumbled to their feet and headed for the bridge to find out what was happening. 

Celestia looked from side to side in the small ship. 

"Alright, the plan is to infiltrate and destroy the Nirvana from the inside. Our firepower can't do it from outside since they always swarm to defend it if we attack. Therefore, we're going to plant a bomb while the Dreads distract them. Hopefully, the loss of the Nirvana will allow the planetary defense on Mejele to deal with them." 

She sat down and sighed. She wasn't supposed to get into combat situations, but she was the controller of the woman who would guide them to the heart of the ship. _Oh, well… I just hope we can rely on her._

A quick glance showed Barnette staring out the hatch towards the Nirvana. _Don't screw this up…_

The shuttle managed to get close enough to dock with the Nirvana, extending a 'tunnel' that drilled into the hull while the commandos hurried down to prepare for the attack. Barnette took a moment to orient herself, then led them off.

"Sir! A Mejelan ship has deployed soldiers into the Ikazuchi!"

"What! Not now!" The Mejelans had made a last ditch effort in this attack, deploying all their remaining forces. "Hey, boy! Get out there!"

"No!" Hibiki sprang up, glaring furiously at the camera. "Turn the air back on!" 

"How dare you defy me! You'll pay for this!" He spun, snapping his fingers. The Ghost materialized, waiting for commands.

"Ghost! Go and terminate the Mejelan boarders!" 

"Orders received." 

They were doing well, making good progress towards the engine room. Any Tarak soldiers who tried to interfere were cut down by laser blasts. As they turned another corner, though, Celestia saw a monstrous form clad in gray armor bearing down on them with impossible speed. Barnette took one look and fled in terror, overreacting due to the drugs and conditioning she'd undergone. Celestia cursed and followed after, ordering the other soldiers to take care of the thing. However, as she turned a corner, all she heard were short screams.

The Ghost lashed out, disintegrating another soldier, armor and all. He sprang forward, goring the last on a spike that suddenly grew from his thigh. As she fell, he continued on. Two had escaped.

"Bart! Get us forward! Start attacking!"

Bart hesitated. It was now or never… Instead of obeying orders and moving to attack the Mejelan fleet, he turned the Nirvana around and began to retreat.

"What are you doing? Bart!"

Bart had to smile at that. Einmann's question almost mirrored the one BC had asked him when he'd started steering the Nirvana towards Tarak. His grin widened. He wouldn't feel sorry about this, though.

Einmann was in a frenzy. Shouting insanely, he ordered the remaining Tarak forces to continue fighting even as he sped away. With the Nirvana gone, the battle evened out, the Dreads' firepower, shields and armor combining with their pilots' resolve to hold off the invaders, evening the odds against the Vanguards.

Barnette ran on in a blind panic, desperately trying to outrun the metal monster. She glanced behind her, imagining it striding forwards in close pursuit, and ran smack into another person, knocking her onto her butt on the floor. 

"Barnette?"

_Jura! _The green-haired pilot stared her old friend in the face. Jura's face first held a disbelieving look, but it quickly changed to pure joy. The blond woman surged forward and gripped her in a tight hug.

"Barnette! You're here! And you're alright! I'm so happy…"

Barnette's fist clenched as she remembered what she'd seen, what she'd been told.

"How dare you…"

"What?" Jura pulled back at the cold tone, blinking in confusion. 

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!" Barnette's fist lanced out, catching Jura flush in the face. As the other woman reeled, she sprang to her feet, kicking Jura squarely in the side. She kicked her again, and again, screaming all the while. 

"I trusted you, I saved you, and you sent me to hell! Do you have any idea what I've been through?" She kicked again, dimly feeling ribs break.

Jura made no attempt to defend herself, but threw her body forwards, gripping Barnette's waist, holding on so she couldn't get enough room to kick. She stared her friend in the eyes, shocked and horrified by the seething hatred she saw there. 

"Barnette… I know that I've always treated you poorly… and I'm sorry. I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness for leaving you, but-"

"Shut up!" Barnette slapped her away, contemptuously kicking her almost in the throat. She pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at Jura's head, sobbing in anger, and… what else? The other woman choked, coughing blood, trying desperately to draw in enough air to speak, only wishing she could explain.

They were interrupted by a low gurgling sound. As both looked up, they saw Celestia standing before them, with the monstrous outline of the Ghost behind her, one of his blades protruding from her chest. He yanked the blade back, pushing the corpse out of the way at the same time. Barnette screamed and jumped back, firing randomly. None of her bullets hit, either ricocheting harmlessly off the bulkheads or embedding themselves in the wall. One severed a high-power cable, creating a crackling storm of sparks. The Ghost charged forward, raising his blade high…

"NO!" Jura grabbed its arm. The armor there immediately grew spikes, impaling her hand in a half dozen places. Even as she managed to yank it free and stagger back, the assassin spun around, burying its blade into her chest. With the last of her failing strength, Jura managed to look Barnette in the eyes before reaching out with her lacerated hand and grabbing the severed cable, using her own blood and body as a conductor. The Ghost shook crazily as the current passed into him. His armor attempted to funnel the electricity and distribute it across his insulated body, but the amount was too much. The Ghost dropped to its knees, computer brain overloading even as Barnette managed to spring forward and turn off the power in that section. The electricity stopped, leaving Jura and the assassin tangled together on the floor.

"JURA!!!!" Barnette ran to her friend's body. All her doubts had been washed away by that final look before she'd sacrificed herself to save her. Now all Barnette felt was a numb shock and a sick sense of guilt for what had happened. _Please, let her be alive…_

Einmann was still raging on the bridge when Meia stepped in and shot him dead with a gun she'd taken from a dead soldier. The rest of the drafted soldiers in the room didn't even raise an eyebrow.

"Dita!" Hibiki had grown desperate, desperate enough to jump in his Vanguard and try to pry the Dread's cockpit open himself. The guards Einmann had stationed to make sure he didn't interfere had turned tail when he'd done so, and now he was tugging on the cockpit with all of the Vanguard's strength. 

"Urrgghhhh…. Rargh!" With a loud clang, the cockpit came off. Hibiki jumped down and leaped in, grabbing Dita and shaking her forcefully. 

"Wake up! Come on, wake up! Please, please, don't die… don't leave me here alone!"  

Dita's eyes slowly opened. "Hi..Hibiki?"

"You're alive… good… I… I was so scared…" The Vanguard pilot tugged her into a tight embrace. 

"Hibiki…" Dita leaned a little closer. "You're here… you" 

She could find nothing else to say, and clung to him with a wail. Hibiki pressed her a little tighter to himself. 

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Don't cry now…"


	8. Epilogue

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vandread or any of its characters. Gonzo does.

Author's note: Please add a review. I value honest critiques of my writing a great deal. If you liked it, say so. If you didn't like it, say so too.

Epilogue- Broken Fragments

(Three weeks after Einmann's death)

The curtain was pulled aside as a green-haired woman stepped into the private cubicle in the ship's infirmary. 

"Jura… I'm here."

There was no response from the prone figure on the bed, but Barnette didn't mind. Although Jura had shown no signs of recovering ever since she'd been rushed into the infirmary, almost mortally wounded, she firmly believed that her friend wouldn't remain like this for the rest of her life. Barnette had continued to visit her every day when she wasn't doing anything else, just sitting there silently, or even talking to her about various things. The pilot pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.

"Duero told me I'm done with that detoxification program he prescribed. He just analyzed a blood sample and said that all of the last traces of the chemicals the Mejelans used on me are gone. Good riddance… I couldn't eat what I wanted for close to a month, and he kept taking blood samples…"

Barnette sat in silence for a while. "I finally went back to your room today. At first I thought the Tarak soldiers had cleaned it out, but someone told me they didn't use it while they had control of the ship. I wonder why you got rid of everything? Well, I can wait until you wake up and tell me yourself. I like your new hairstyle, though."

"Jura… you will wake up, won't you?" she leaned forward and clasped the other pilot's hand in both of her own. 

"Of… of course you will… how silly of me! You're as stubborn as an ox. You lived through the worst that assassin did to you, even when the doctors said you wouldn't make it… of course you'll wake up…"

Barnette wiped away a tear. "Sorry… I'm getting too emotional. Jura, I know we had a few problems, but we'll make it right again… when you come back."

She gently brushed away a strand of blond hair before kissing her friend on the cheek. "I'll be here, waiting for you… come back to me, come back to all of us soon, alright?"

Barnette swore she felt Jura's fingers tighten against hers.

BC stood in front of Magno and Gascogne in what had been Einmann's office. 

"So, you're now the leader of Tarak, eh?" Magno raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed."

BC smiled faintly. "The war convinced everyone getting along was better than fighting… there'll be a lot more bitterness, but nothing we can't overcome. Apparently, I was the best person for the job of handling reintegration. I'll be resigning once I'm done."

Magno nodded. "And Bart?"

"He's done well in convincing his father to try work with me… they have plenty of influence. Bart has been working overtime to help out. I didn't think he had it in him."

"You'd be surprised. He did live up to my expectations of him in the end…" Magno looked at her former subordinate. "I wonder why he works so hard, though."

BC's face softened a little. "Everyone has something they want to make up for."

Magno's eyes showed her sub-commander that she understood. "You've made up for any harm you've done already. Don't forget that you're one of us. The Nirvana is your home, and we are your family. We'll welcome you back anytime."

The silver-haired woman nodded. "I know. I'll see you again someday."

"Good luck." 

The two women headed for the door. Before leaving, Gasco looked back and waved jauntily.

"Don't forget: Smile, smile!"

BC smiled.

Hibiki frowned at Dita. "NO! That's ugly!" 

She cocked her head. "But Hibiki's vanguard would look so much better if it was painted like that…"

"Humph. My partner's fine. Stop messing around with those color schemes."

Dita giggled and moved off. Hibiki watched her go, smiling a little. He was glad that he'd been able to save her… he had always just figured that she'd be there. Almost losing her had shocked him into realizing how much the red-haired girl had grown to mean to him. And he knew that even though he could never say it, she now understood. He leaned back with a contented sigh. Life was good…

Meia turned to see Dita coming along. The younger pilot stopped and waved happily. The blue-haired Dread leader was pleased to see Dita was back to her regular self, the past forgotten.

"Leader! Dita forgot to tell you that Dita was sorry for being mean to you…"

Meia almost laughed. Dita was not very good at acting mean if she had been trying to be mean to her. 

"It's alright, Dita. I understand."

"That's great! Dita… oh no! Hibiki's waiting! See you later!" The girl ran off.

Meia watched her go, feeling happy for the two of them.

Meia, there is nothing more wonderful than loving someone and being loved in return…

_I understand that now, mother. I'll find the person for me… someday._

-END-

Author's note: Finally! All done! Ahh… special thanks go to Jap and Seravy, for bugging me into finishing this… if not for them, it would have taken quite a while for Chapter 7 to come out. Also, thanks to all who reviewed, namely: Seravy (who posted 7 out of 14 reviews!), Liquid Blue, Ranka, Renwar, Bunny, Lillian, Jon and… myself!!! Sorry to the people who wanted a Meia/Hibiki fic (ducks behind a wall), but… DITA X HIBIKI FOREVER! (ducks into a nuclear shelter). Also thanks to Spike. 

If anyone is interested in my next project, it will be some/one/none/all of the following:

1) a Warhammer 40K fic,

2) another original Vandread fic,

3) a continuation of my story 'Twilight of the Gods',

4) a Final Fantasy Tactics fic.

If anyone has any requests/suggestions about this, please feel free to email or drop a review.

Thanks again and that's all, folks!


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